Lacson wants to help Aquino in anti-corruption drive

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Panfilo Lacson has expressed preference helping the Aquino administration on its anti-corruption drive despite talks that he might be given an anti-crime post when his term ends in 2013.

Lacson initially refused to give comments on his possible appointment in the government when asked during a regular forum in the Senate on Thursday, saying he didn’t want to sound presumptuous about it.

“I’ll cross the bridge when I get there. There’s so much speculation on this and that. It will look I’m presumptuous. So I’d rather wait for the offer,” he said.

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But when asked about talks that he had expressed preference over an anti-corruption post than law enforcement, Lacson did not deny it.

“My interest there, I think I can help more,” he said.

“If it’s in anticrime you may court more enemies…If I’m given a job I put my whole heart and spirit into the mandate,” the senator said.

Since he first got elected as senator in 2001, Lacson said the government was able to save a total of P2.4 billion when he decided to forego the P200 million priority development assistance fund (PDAF) given to each senator every year.

He said he decided to forego his PDAF consistent with his “no-take” policy when he was chief of the Philippine National Police and continued this even under the present administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

Lacson said the President himself had offered him to reconsider his decision but he turned it down.